Degradation of phenol, cinnamic and quinic acid in the terrestrial crustacean, Oniscus asellus

Abstract

In experiments involving feeding, significant amounts of ring radioactively-laheled cinnamic and quinic acids were respired as 14CO 2 by the terrestrial isopod Oniscus asellus L. In experiments involving injection, approximately 25% of ring radioactively-labelcd cinnamic acid, phenol and quinic acid were recovered as respiratory 14CO 2 during 7 days at 15°C. Less than, or about, 1% of the dose was present in feces and sand occupied by the animal. Only 0. 10 and 4% respectively of the cinnamic acid, phenol and quinic acid were recovered from the body unchanged after 7 days. It is not known whether the test compounds were metabolized by animal oxidases or internal microbes.